Artificial eyes for dolls, display figures, and the like and method of making the same



sept. 2s, '1926. www@ AND THE LIKE,

S. MARCUS ARTIFICIAL EYES FOR DOLLS, DISPLAY FIGURES AND METHOD CFMAKING THE SAME Filed OGL. l5, 1923 ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 28 i926.

NITE. SEATS SAMUEL-.Maestre or BROOKLYN, NEW Yoan.

ARTIFICIAL-EYES FOR DOLLS,

DISPLAY IIIIVG"UIBES,v AND THE LIKE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME.

Application led October 13, 1923. Serial No. 668,281.

The invention pertains to improvements in artificial eyes for dolls andthe like, and 1t resides more particularly in the novel method and meansI have invented for applylng eye-lashes to these eyes. The inventionalso pertains to the certain features` of the eye permitting myinvention to be carried into eii'ect in a preferred manner.

The eyes are connected together by a bridge member to form a pair oreye-set, and each eye is usually preferably formed of an exterior shellof transparent celluloid enclosing an opaque or white shell alsopreferably of Celluloid and bearing a representation of the iris, andthis combined shell, constituting the exterior of the eye, is preferablymounted upon a hemispherical metal shell to be adj ustably secured on atransverse rod or bridge which in use has one of the eyes at'each endthereof and at its middle portion supporting hanger or bracket and alsoconnected with means for eecting a rolling motion'` of the eyes to closewhen the doll is reclined and to open when the doll is restored tovertical position. The iris is exposed at the front .and ispreferablyslightly below the center of the hemispherical shells so that when thedoll is reclined the eye may rather. quickly close or disappear withinthe head of the doll.

In carrying out my invention I preferably provide an eye-lash memberwhich consists.

of a suitable width of parallel fibres or strands arranged closetogether and secured at their end portions in xed relation to eachotherby means of paper or other thin strips secured upon one side thereof andextending at right angles to the length of the fibres or strands. Thiseye-lash member I utilize for providing the artificial eye witheye-lashes, and in respect to this part of the invention I vcut atransverse slit through the front wall of the exterior shell of the eyeand above the iris representation exposed thereon and insert one end ofthe eye-lash member carrying its binding strip through this slit andpreferably press the binding strip on said end upwardly against theinner surface of the exterior shell of the eye, causing the same toadhere thereto by adhesive or other means'. The positioning of one endof the eye-lash member within the exterior portion of the eye leaves theother is pivotally mounted upon a' end of the eye-lash member exposedoutwardly beyond the eye, and this portion of the eye-lash member istrimmed down along an arcuate line crossing the member to such extent aslmay be des1red for leaving the fibres or strands exposed at the frontof the eye of proper length to constitute the eyelashes. The eye-lasheswill appear directly above the iris of the eye, and when the exteriorportion or shell of the eye is mounted upon the metal shell or base, theeye-lashes will become permanently secured in place.

The invention will be fully understood from the detailed descriptionhereinafter presented, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,in which:

Fig. l is a front view of an eye-set adapted for introduction into thehead of a doll in a well understood lmanner and embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a. vertical section through the same, taken on the dotted line2 2 of Fig. 1, and showing the iris offset from the center of the eye;

Fig. 3 is a top plan View of one of the eyes, the bridge rod beingpartly broken away;

Fig. 4 is a central vertical section, on an lenlarged scale and partlybroken away,

through one of the eyes and taken on the dotted line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig.' 5 is a perspective view of the eye-lash-V tion through the twoouter shells of one of the eyes and illustrates the preliminary step inintroducing the eye-lash member thereto Fig. 7 is a top view, on asmaller scale, of the same. and bv the arcuate broken. line indicatesthe line on which the eye-lash member is trimmed-off as the final stepin forming the eye-lashes, and

Fig. 81is an enlarged central vertical section thro-ugh the two outershells of the eye and illustrates the manner of securing t e inner endof the eye-lash member, shown in Figs. 5 and 6, preparatory to thetrimming 0H of the strands constituting the eye-lashes on the arcuatebroken line indicated in j Fig. 7.

In the drawings, 10 designates the two eyes of a pair of eyes, said eyesbeing supported upon a transverse ro or bridge 11 which is pivotally.mounted in a bracket or ibs hanger 12 and has rigidlyconnected with ita rod 13 suspending a weight 14, which acts when a doll containing theeye-set is reclined, to turn the rod 11 and'therethrough effect aclosing motion'to the'eyes 10 and which also acts when the doll isreturned to vertical position, to effect an opening movement of theeyes. The rod 11, hanger 12, rod 13 and weight 14 are disclosed in Fig.11 of Letters Patent No. 1,433,901, granted to me on October 13, 1922,and hence these mechanical features donot require specific description.

The eyes 10 correspond with each other and each eye comprises an inneror base hemispherical metal shell 1'5 and an exterior shell preferablycomprising, as illustrated, an outer transparent thin Celluloid shell orlayer 16 and a thin intermediate opaque shell or layer 17 upon which theiris is imprinted and which iris becomescexvposed through the outershell, as shown. The shells 15, 16 and 17 are assembled and nested in awell-known manner, and the eyes formed therefrommay be secured upon theends of the bridge `or rod l11 by means of screws 18 passing throughthreaded holes in the backs of the metal shells 15 and engaging at their`forward endsI the rod 11, as shown in Fig. 4. As illustrated in Fig. 2of the drawing the iris 19 of the eye is not centrally disposed lwithrespect to the hemispherieal shells 16, 17, but is nearer to the loweredge of said shells than it is to the upper edge thereof, this being fortwo purposes, one being to throw the iris directly to thelfront when the'eye is inclined as shown in Figs. 2 and 4 and the doll is upright, andthe other being to effect a quick concealment of the iris when the dollis reclined and the eyes roll downwardly along their sockets within thehead of a doll. When the iris is disposed in the manner described thereis less of the white of the eye below the iristo roll into concealmentlthan there would be if the iris were directly at the center of theshells 16, 17 and said shells were not normally inclined to the positionindicated in Figs 2 and 4. I regard the location 'of the iris below thecenter of the shells 16, 17 as quite important in securing proper actionin artificial eyes for dolls and also as import-ant when said eyes areprovided with eye-lashes, since with such location of the iris and theinclination hereinbefore described of the eye-shell, the eye-lashes canmeet the lower lids of the eyes without necessitating undue rollingaction of the eyes.

An essential feature of the present invention relates to the eye-lashesand the manner of securing them to the artificial eye. and with respectto this part of my invention I provide an veye-lash member 20, shown inFig. 5, which I make use of in equipping the eye-shells with eye-lashes.The eye-lash member 20 comprises a series of parallel closely arrangedfibres or strands 21, these fibres or strands 21 being arranged to formal flat band and being connected together at their ends by spaced apartpliable strips 22 of thinvpaper, textile fabric or the like secured byan adhesive on one side of the band at the ends thereof, both strips 22preferably being on one side of the band of fibres or strands. In orderto utilize the eye-lashmember 20 I cut a transverse slit 23 preferablythrough the thickness ofthe eye-shell member from its exterior to theinterior, and in the specific embodiment of the invention, through thefront wall of the eye-shell, made up of the parts 16, 17, from front torear, on a line directly above the -iris 197 or in the appropriateposition for within the eye-shell or eye-shell member and partly withoutthe same. After the inner end of the eye-lash member 20 has been securedwithin the upper port-ion of the shell 17 I trim off the projectingortion of said member, which intervenes t e spaced strips 22, 22, alongan arcuate line. indicated at 24 in Fig. 7, to leave projecting'outwardly from the slit 23 the eye-lashes 25, the length of theeye-lashes 25 being determined by the size of the eyes and theparticular effect I desire to secure. When the eye-lash member istrimmed off along the arcuate line 24 the eye-lashes are left projectingout-- wardly from -between the slightly separated upper and lower edgewalls o1' the slit 23 and may be pressed upwardly to a slight extent, ifdesired, so as to impart a curvature to the eye-lashes. After thesurplus portion of the member 2O has been trimmed olf to leave theeye-lashes 25 of the desired length, it will be found that by reason ofthe upward bending of the inner portion of the member 2O against theupper portion of the shell 17, the eye-lashes will tend to spread outradially in the manner indicated in Fig. 3, and in this way come closerto approximating the appearance of human eyelashes. The slot 23 isdirectly above the iris 19 and above the horizontal center of thehemispherical shell formation of the eye and hence the lower wall of theyslot stands lforwardly beyond the upper wall thereof. as shown in Fig.4. and affords a seat for the full width of the lever of fibres toprovide an artificial eye with eye-lashesl and I consider the methodjust described of providing the eyes with eye-lashes, as i111- portant,both from a manufacturing standpoint and in producing eye-lashesapproximating in ap earance the eye-lashes of the human eye. y -firstconstructing the eyelash member 20 and then applying the same to theeye-shell as described, the flexible fibres or strands may be readilyhandled and secured in position, the means securing them being concealedwithin lthe' eye-shells. In the use of the eye-set shown in thedrawings, the manufacturer of the dolls will color the upper ends of theeye-shells above the eye-lashes to imitate eye-lids, the coloringmaterial used corresponding with the coloring matter applied upon theface and forehead of the dollhead. I therefore leave the eye-shellsabove the eye-lashes plain and smooth so that'they may receive suchcoloring matter as the manufacturer of the doll may elect' to'placelthereon.

It is to be noted that the metal base shell 15 constitutes a retainingmember in enga-gement with that portion of the e e-lash member -which iswithin the eye-s ell member,

and servesin holdingl the eye-lash member attached to the eye-s ellmember, the rear portion of said' retaining member constitutingconnecting means to `connect the eyeshell member with a supportingmember, such, for example, as therod or bridge 11. What'I claim as Ininvention and desire to secure by Lettersatent, is:l

1. Artificial eyes for dolls and the like, said eyes each beingsubstantially hemispherical in and presenting an iris and havingeyelashes, said shell structure being formed with a transverse slitextending through the front wall of the structure from front torearabove the horizontal center thereof and above theiris, and theeye-lashes composed of a layer of strands secure within the structureand extending through the slit between the upper and lower edge vwallsthereof.

2. An artificial eye for. dolls andthelike comprising an e e-shellstructure forme with a slot exten ed through the .front wall from frontto rear thereof, and eye-lash strands in the form of a band at one endThe slot 23 is very outline and of shell structureat one end dlrepresentation of an secured within the 'shell structure and pro'-Jected forward through the slot inthe frontwall between the upper andlower edge walls thereof.

3. An eye structure, com rising an eyeshell member having a slit ormedthrough its thickness from the vexterior to the interior thereof, and aneyelash member in saidgslit and projecting outwardly therefrom. i

4. An eye structure, comprising an eye shell having aslit thereinopening through the front f ace thereof, and an eyelash member in saidslit and projecting forwardly therefrom to comprise an eyelash attachedto the eye shell.

5I`ne e structure, comprising an eyeshell mem er having a slit formedthrough itsk thickness from the exterior tov the interior thereof, andan eyelash member projecting through said slit and being partly withinand partly without the said eye-shell member.

6. An e e structure comprising an eyeshell mem er having 'a slit formedthrough its thickness from thevexterior to the interior thereof, and aneye lash member projecting through said slit and being partly withinandpartly without the said eye shell menber, and means engaging the portionof the eye lash member within the eye shell member to retain the eyelash member in position.

. 7 AnA eye structure comprisin an eye shell member having a slit formethrough its thickness from the exterior to the interior thereof, an eyelash member projecting 'through said slit and being partly within andpartlywithout the eye shell member, and a retaining member engaging theportion of the e e lash member which is within the eye shell7 member tohold the eyelash member in position and havingv a part to hold the eyeshell member connected with a suitable support.

8. An eye structure com Arisin an eye shell member havin a slit ormethrough its thickness from t e exteriorpto the interior thereof, an eyelash member'projecting through said slit and being partly withln andpartly without the eye shell member, and connectingmeans to hold the eyeshell member connected with a suitable supporting member, and saidconnecting means havin a part also serving in hol ing the eye las memberin position.

9. -An eye structure, comprising a base shell and two outer shellsmounted upon the transparent shell and an inner shell fitting -withinthe transparent shell and bearing the iris visible through thetransparent shell, said two outer shells having. slits therethrou h .andeye lashes pirejecting through sai slits an havlng t elr inner ends heldbetween the 'base shell and the inner shell.

10. An artificial eye for dolls and the like comprising an eye shellstructure formed with a slit extending through the wall of the eye shellfrom the exterior to the interior thereof, and eye lash strands in theform of a band secured at one end Within the shell structure andprojecting outwardly through the slit between the upper and lower edgesof said slit.

11. As an article of manufacture, a forming member for the eye lashes ofartificial eyes, said eye lash forming member comprising a series ofstrands arranged lengthwise side by side, and strips secured to saidstrandsand spaced apart, the parts of the strands between said stripsadapted to be severed in forming eye lashes.`

12. As an article of manufacture, an eye lash forming member from whichto form eye lashes upon artificial eyes, said eye lash forming membercomprising a series of strands arranged lengthwise side by side, and apair of strips secured to said strands spaced apart adjacent theopposite ends of the strands so as to leave the intervening parts of thestrands free of said strips, said eye lash forming member being thusadapted to be connected with the artificial eye by having either one ofsaid strips inserted through a slit of the eye and secured within theeye, and the strands between the eye and the second strip being adaptedto e trimmed oft` to leave the desired length of eye lash on the eye.

13. As an article of manufacture, a shell for artificial eyes, saidshell having a slit formed through its thickness and said slit being inan appropriate position to accommodate an eye lash member.

14. As an article of manufacture, a shell for artificial eyes, saidshell having'the representation of an iris thereon and having aslit'formed throu h its thickness, above the representation o? the irisand in ap ropriate position to accommodate an eye ash member. l v

15. As an article of manufacture, a shell for artificial eyes, saidshell having the representation of an iris thereon and having a slitformed throu h its thickness, above the representation o? the iris andin an appropriate position of an eye lash member, the general plane ofsaid slit being tangential to the geometric centre of the shell.

16. As an article of manufacture, a shell for artificial eyes, saidshell being composed of Celluloid and being c semi-spherical shape andhaving a slit 'formed through its thickness and in the appropriateposition of an-eye lash member.

17. As an article of manufacture, a shell for artificial eyes, saidshell being semispherical in shape and being formed with Leoniss a slitthrough its spherical outer surfacenin the appropriate position of aneye lash member.

18. As an article of manufacture, a shell for artificial eyes, saidshell being formed of a plurality of semi-spherical layers nestedtogether, and said layers having slitsftherethrough in the appropriateposition of an eyelash member.

19. As an article of manufacture, a shell for artificial eyes, saidshell being formed oftwo semispherical members nested together, and atleast one of said members having a slit formed through the materialthereof in theappropriate position of an eye lash member.Y

20. As an article of manufacture, a shell for artificial eyes, saidshell being formed of two semispherical members nested together,

one of said members having the representation of an iris thereon, andthere being a slit formed through one of said members adjacent the upperedge of said iris in the appropriate position of an eye lash member.

21. As an article of manufacture, a shell yfor artificial eyes, saidshell being formed of two semispherical layers nested together, theouter layer being transparent, the inner layer having the representationof an iris thereon visible through the outer layer, and the outer layerhaving a slit therethrough adjacent to the upper edge of said iris inthe appropriate position of an eye, lash member.

22. As an article of manufacture, a shell for artificial eyes, saidshell being formed of two semispherical layers nested together, theouter layer being of transparent material, the inner layer having therepresentation of an iris thereon visible through the material oftheouter layer,`and said two layers having slits therethrough arranged toaccommodate an eye lash member adjacent the upper edge of said iris.

23. As an article of manufacture, a shell for artificial eyes, saidshell being formed of a pluralit of semisplierieal shells of celluloidneste together, and said shells each having a slit formed through thematerial thereof arranged collectively to accommodate an eye lash memberin the appropriate position forsuch member.

24. An eye structure comprising an eye shell member having a slit formedthrough its thickness from the exterior to the interior thereof, an eyelash member projecting through said slit being partly within and partlywithout the eye shell member, and a semispherical shell nested withinthe mentioned eye shell member serving as retaining means engagingv theportion of the eye lash member within the e e shell member to retain theeye lash mem r in position.

25. The herein described method of producing artificial eyes havinglashes thereon,

which-method consists in providing an eyeshell member, forming a slitthrouglrsaid eye-shell member in the appropriate position Jor an eyelash, providing an eye lash member having'eye lash strands held togetherby a retaining strip, inserting the retaining strip through said slit sothat the eye lash member is disposed with its eye lash strandsprojecting outwardly through the slit andwith "l said retaining stripwithin the eyeshell member securing the eye lash memberagainstdisplacement, and then trimming olf the outer ends of the eyelash strands to leave a desired length thereof projecting from the slit.

Signed at New York City,l in the' county of New York and State of NewYork, this 11th day of October, A. D. 1923.

SAMUEL MARCUS.

